Two for two
by Kou Shuurei-sama
Summary: After the Battle of Hogwarts, Lucius Malfoy feels like his world has ended. The Malfoy name bears the stain of him having been a Death Eater, and Narcissa decides to leave him. However, there is hope for him, because not only is he acquitted of his crimes, he also unexpectedly meets someone new that he wants to rebuild his life with. M-rating for the last chapter.
1. A new beginning

**A/N:** I am writing this story as a present for my sister's birthday, which is about three weeks from now. She is a big fan of Lucius Malfoy, which is why this story is about him and an OC which I created based on none other than my sister. However, my favorite couple is Dramione, which is why I will also write a companion story to this one, about Draco and Hermione and how they find their way to each other after the Battle of Hogwarts. The OC is a relative of Hermione's, and that's why I named the story "Two for Two" - two of the Malfoy men, and then Hermione and her relative. It's a romantic story about new beginnings, atonement, moving on after tragic events, and finding love in the most unexpected of places.

The writing is done in my usual style, which is third person, alternating between the point of view of the main male and female characters.

While I usually like to write very long stories or one shots, this story will be neither, because my sister doesn't like very long stories, but I can't squeeze everything in a one shot either. So there are going to be several short chapters - three, maybe four, published at an interval of about a week (or less), but in any case, I'll have the story finished by the 24th of August, because that's my sister's birthday and therefore my deadline.

I hope you enjoy this story and if you do, please don't forget to leave a review! Constructive criticism is also welcome.

Best regards!

**Disclaimer**: I don't own the Harry Potter characters.

* * *

**Chapter 1 A new beginning**

"Cleared of all charges!"

Kingsley Shacklebolt's booming voice rang through the courtroom, and Lucius Malfoy felt his frozen heart give a little tug, which meant there was hope for him yet, something he hadn't expected.

But at the moment, he couldn't really see any hope for the future. Voldemort was defeated, most of the Death Eaters dead or imprisoned, and everything Lucius believed in had shattered into a million pieces. He felt lost, and the one person he had been counting on to help him find his way was no longer by his side.

The previous day Narcissa had informed him that she was leaving him. She disapproved of how Lucius allowed Draco become a Death Eater, which placed their son in considerable danger for the past two years. It was something she just couldn't forgive – ever – so she moved out of the manor.

It was a huge blow, because Lucius loved Narcissa, and he was sure she loved him too – but sometimes, love just wasn't enough, and now it was too late for him to save his marriage.

However, Lucius was not going to be left with nothing – he still had his wealth, and he still had his pureblood lineage, even if nowadays the Malfoy name didn't induce the respect it once did. And there was also Draco – who, surprisingly, had chosen to stay at Malfoy Manor – and Lucius intended to do everything in his powers to fix his relationship with his son, because that was the most important thing for him now that Narcissa left him.

And for Draco's sake, he had to turn a new leaf and redeem the family name, which meant making useful connections with the right people, and the first step in that direction was to make amends to Hermione Granger, one of the heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts – especially as she had testified in favour of the Malfoys, despite their history of enmity.

He looked for her around the atrium and spotted her getting ready to exit the room, accompanied by a short witch with long curly brown hair that could have been a relative.

Probably a muggle, given the fact that Hermione Granger was muggle born, so with a long suffering sigh, Lucius walked towards them, his quick stride getting him at their side just in time to hold the door open for Hermione Granger's companion.

"Miss Granger, I wonder if I might have a word in private", he said, and relished in how her eyes widened in surprise, probably at his extra polite tone.

"Anything you say to my niece you can say to me too – I am her guardian until we find a way to retrieve her parents' memories", the woman accompanying Hermione said.

Lucius arched an eyebrow at that piece of information, but he didn't want to get too deep into their muggle drama.

"Settle down, Emilia, I don't' need a guardian, I'm of age, remember?" Hermione told her aunt, and then addressed him. "But my aunt is right, Mr. Malofy, whatever it is that you have to say, you can say in front of her – she's my kin, after all… even if I just discovered that."

That last part was mumbled rather resentfully, so Lucius barely heard it, but he set that information aside for later analysis.

"All right then, Miss Granger, have it your way. But I would like to do things properly, and that means I would like to introduce myself to your aunt. I am Lu…"

He didn't get to finish his sentence.

"I know who you are, Mr. Malfoy", the woman – Emilia, was it? – answered.

"Then I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage Miss…"

He had no idea whether the woman was married or not, but she didn't have a ring on the proper finger – he had noticed that – and besides, he figured that even if she was married, she'd correct his manner of addressing her.

"I'm Emilia Agnelli, Hermione's… well, aunt to keep things simple, but basically I'm her mother's second cousin."

"Pleasure", Lucius said, and although he kept his tone perfectly polite, there was a lot going on under his cool façade.

Something about Miss Emilia Agnelli drew Lucius in…maybe it was her voice, which was a very pleasant soprano…. Or maybe it was her fair skin, those glossy brown curls, or perhaps those big brown eyes that Lucius felt he could get lost in.

He tried to get back to the point, realizing both women were looking at him expectantly.

"I just wanted to express my gratitude for your testimony in favour of me and my family. It was very magnanimous of you, if we take into account the…bad blood between us", he said, hoping he wasn't making a mistake by mentioning 'blood'. It was a sore subject given that the Malfoys were purebloods and Hermione Granger's parents were muggles.

Hermione Granger wasn't called the brightest witch of her age for nothing though, because she caught on the key word of his phrase.

"Well, since you mentioned blood, you'll be pleased to know my aunt is a pureblooded witch – the Agnelli family is part of the… well, the equivalent of Britain's sacred twenty eight, 'Le famiglie sacre'."

"Oh, it's hardly that big a deal, Hermione, and besides, you can hardly call it a family given it's just me who's left", Hermione's aunt said with modesty – though Lucius suspected she might not actually be as modest as she wanted to appear. That line was something he might have said himself if he was trying to _look_ modest when he was anything but.

However, at the moment something else had shocked him to such an extent that Lucius might have let his jaw drop straight to the floor if his manners hadn't been impeccable. A pureblooded witch, in Hermione Granger's family? But then, he supposed it made sense, because otherwise how come she was such a talented witch, finishing top of the year each and every single year at Hogwarts, stealing that spot from Draco?

"That's… unexpected, but in any case I hope I will be able to show my gratitude in some way, because I do want to repay this debt of honour", Lucius added gallantly.

Miss Agnelli seemed impressed, which made him feel good, although Lucius wasn't sure why. He had just met her, why was it so important to impress her? Simply because she was a pureblood?

But before he could dwell further into that train of thought to figure out the real reason, someone joined their little group.

"Might as well express my gratitude too, then, Granger", a voice drawled nearby and Lucius turned a disapproving look at his son.

"Manners, Draco! That is no way to address a lady!", Lucius scolded, and his son smirked but bowed his head, half in mockery, Lucius was sure, even if the other half was actually to pay his respects.

"It's OK, Mr. Malfoy, I'm used to it", Hermione said with a sigh, and Lucius had to admire her for her composure.

"Your testimony meant a lot", Draco continued, "plus, I'm sure that while Saint Potter testified of his own volition, you were the one to convince Weaselbee to testify as well."

"That's not his name and you well know it!" Hermione replied hotly, and Lucius chuckled silently at how riled up she got whenever Draco provoked her… so much for composure.

"Children!" Lucius said, smiling. "Please behave!"

Both Draco and Hermione snorted at that, but Emilia Agnelli seemed to approve of his try to calm things down. Even though both Draco and Hermione were of age and therefore not children anymore, Lucius was the responsible adult in the equation, he and Emilia Agnelli. He was sure that she was the reason he was suddenly feeling none of his previous sadness and despair, though why that should be, he didn't quite know yet.

"Well, if there's nothing else, Mr. Malfoy…" she trailed off, and Lucius found himself reluctant to see her go.

But what could he do to make her stay? It was clear she would go back to Italy once whatever was wrong with the Grangers was fixed. And Lucius was sure Italy was where she came from - her name was obviously Italian, her nationality was also clear in her faint accent, which, Lucius realized, might have been one of the reasons he felt so drawn to her. Not just her voice, but that Latin accent as well….

Case in point though, Miss Agnelli would probably live with her niece for a while. And if Lucius knew anything about memory charms, it was that they were very difficult to fix – sometimes they could never be reversed, and that meant Miss Agnelli was going to have an extended stay there… which in return meant that there was a chance he might see her again, and he realized he really wanted to.

Leaving things up to chance wasn't his style, so he took matters into his own hands, as a brilliant idea came to him.

"Well, actually, there is something else", Lucius said, driven by that strong urge to make sure he'd see Emilia Agnelli again – soon.

"I would like to invite you both to Malfoy Manor for dinner – this very evening or whenever it is convenient for you", he added, trying hard not to chuckle at the identical expression of shock on the faces of the two women in front of him.

Draco's expression, on the other hand, was speculative.

"Father, I very much doubt Granger would like to find herself in our manor again", he said, making a very good point, but also making them all very uncomfortable. The last time Hermione had been at Malfoy Manor, Lucius's sister in law, Bellatrix Lestrange, had tortured her with the Cruciatus curse. Lucius silently berated himself for being inconsiderate. Emilia Agnelli had thrown him off his game, which wasn't something that many people could pride themselves on.

He was about to apologize for his lack of delicacy, when Hermione Granger spoke, taking him by surprise with her words.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm still haunted by that torture episode – and since I would like to get a night's sleep without having nightmares I think the best way to achieve that is to face that room again. So I'd certainly like to take you up on that invitation, Mr. Malfoy. What about you, Emilia?"

"Well, I'm not one to refuse a free dinner and the company of fellow purebloods, so I'll go as well."

"Splendid", Lucius said. "Shall we make it eight o'clock tonight then?"

"Sounds good", Hermione replied. "But shouldn't you check with Mrs. Malfoy, first?" Hermione asked, looking around for Narcissa, but his soon to be ex-wife had left in a hurry just as soon as her verdict was out.

"Although this isn't public news yet, my wife and I are separated – and it's only a matter of time until we will be divorced, so there is no point in checking with her, given the fact that she doesn't live at Malfoy Manor anymore."

Lucius had to make a considerable effort not to laugh out loud – because once again, he succeeded in shocking his interlocutors. Before either of the women could say anything, Draco spoke up.

"See you then, Granger", Draco said with another smirk, and Lucius sighed again. He hoped the animosity between his son and Hermione Granger wasn't going to ruin the dinner.

"Goodbye Miss Agnelli, Miss Granger. I look forward to seeing you at dinner."

He watched them go – especially Emilia Agnelli, as her voluptuous body was even more appealing when she was in motion, her every movement graceful and seductive.

It was going to be an interesting evening.

* * *

"I didn't expect to be approached by Lucius Malfoy – and he behaved so civil!" Emilia told her niece, as they apparated on the doorstep of No. 12 Grimmauld place.

Hermione was staying with Harry given that her parents sold the house when they left for Australia – and Harry didn't want to live alone with Kreacher in that big old creepy place that once belonged to the Noble House of Black.

"After everything you told me about him I was expecting open hostility!" Emilia continued, as she and Hermione headed towards the kitchen. Harry wasn't home – after testifying at the Malfoy's trial the previous day, he went with Ron Weasley to the Burrow – he and Ron's sister, Ginny, were a couple, and they were coping together, trying to move on from Fred's death and from everyone else they had lost during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Emilia knew from Hermione that Ron Weasley, her niece's 'love interest', on the other hand, was coping alone – and so was Hermione. Emilia felt that their 'relationship' (if it could be called that, given that they probably hadn't shared anything more than a kiss in the heat of the battle) wasn't meant to be: Hermione and Ron were just too different, at least from the little that Emilia could tell. Other than Harry, whom she got to know pretty well during the past weeks given that they lived in the same house, Emilia didn't really know Ron, Ginny, nor any other of Hermione's friends, which was something she meant to correct.

Kreacher served them tea – the old house elf was quite pleased with the fact that Emilia was staying over indefinitely. He clearly had an appreciation for pureblood, so he treated Emilia like a queen. He was also polite when dealing with Hermione and Harry, but there was a noticeable difference in the manner in which he served them.

"I don't know what he's playing at", Hermione said, interrupting her thoughts, "but don't let him get to you. He is a venomous snake – or… at least he _was_ like that… I must admit, he seems somewhat changed now and perhaps he really does mean well, but I'd be wary if I were you."

"Thanks for the advice, I'll try to do just that, though it might not be very easy. You have to admit that whatever else Lucius Malfoy is, he's definitely a charmer. But never mind that – are you sure you'll be OK going into that manor? I lost count of how many nights you woke up screaming, reliving the torture the Lestrange woman inflicted on you", Emilia said, concerned.

On those nights, Emilia had left Harry to comfort Hermione, because the two of them were more like family than Emilia was with Hermione. One more thing to correct, and something she should have done ages ago.

Alas, it hadn't been in her power to do so. About fourteen years ago, Emilia's mother, Chiara, who used to be one of the best curse breakers in the world, had been afflicted with an unknown Celtic curse which slowly eroded her life, and Emilia hadn't been able to leave her side, spending all of her free time at Ospedale Santi Cosma e Damiano (the Messina equivalent of London's St. Mungo) even though the healers told her there was no chance of recovery and that her mother wouldn't even know she was there.

Chiara had died the previous year, and Emilia didn't have any other family (her father had died when she was just a little girl) so Emilia hadn't left anyone behind, although she did leave her business (an apothecary which Emilia was sure would be fine in the capable hands of her business partner, Allegra), her friends and her many admirers.

Hermione's heavy sigh interrupted her thoughts though.

"I have to face my fears sooner or later, and this might very well be a once in a lifetime opportunity", her niece declared. "I never expected to set foot inside Malfoy Manor again, so I have to make the best of this chance to destroy my demons. I can't let fear rule me."

"How very Gryffindor of you, my dear", Emilia said, chuckling, but also filled with admiration for her young niece. She really was brave. Emilia wasn't sure that, were she in Hermione's place, she could do something so frightening.

"Well, now all we have to worry about is what to wear. I'm sure it's going to be a very formal occasion, so we have to look our best!", Emilia said, her eyes glinting with excitement.

She loved dressing up and she also wanted to impress Lucius Malfoy…. especially now, that she knew he was in the process of divorcing his wife. She tried not to dwell on that thought, but once an idea got inside her head, it was very hard to let go of it.

She sipped the delicious green tea Kreacher had prepared, while already going through possible outfits in her mind. She'd brought a LOT of luggage from Messina.

"I don't intend to impress neither Malfoy senior nor his brat of a son", Hermione said belligerently. "I'm sure whatever I wear is never going to be good enough for them, given that I'm a 'mudblood'."

"Don't say that word!" Emilia exclaimed, shocked. She didn't like strong words or cussing in a conversation, and she thought it wasn't healthy for her niece to be calling herself such a derogatory word.

"Oh, but I will say it, so that it doesn't affect me if others say it to me – after all, it was Draco Malfoy who called me that first, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd do it again tonight."

"He didn't give me the impression of being hostile to you. I mean, he did say he was grateful for your testimony, didn't he? I just get the feeling he wants to rile you up, to get your attention."

Hermione rolled her eyes which conveyed her thoughts quite clearly.

"And besides, if you think he's such a brat, why did you testify in his favour?" Emilia asked. "I doubt it was purely that you felt it was your duty to do so."

"It was my duty to make sure people knew that Draco went through a significant chance for the past two years. He didn't kill Dumbledore when he had the chance to, and he didn't identify me and Harry and Ron when we were taken to Malfoy Manor – and he did that on purpose. You heard what I said at the trial, it's for all those reasons that I think he's a better person now, who deserves a second chance. But that doesn't mean I don't still find him extremely annoying. I'm sure you noticed the way he talks to me."

Emilia didn't say anything, because she knew that if she voiced her thoughts aloud, the Gryffindor temper that her niece possessed would flare up and she wasn't in the mood for an argument. But she thought there was something there between Hermione and Draco, something other than animosity… something more like a spark that wouldn't need much to burst into an all-consuming fire.

"I'm sure he'll be on his best behaviour this evening", Emilia said nonchalantly, "and now I'm going to get a head start on getting ready for the dinner. I'll see you later."

Emilia soaked in the bathtub for about an hour, enjoying the scented air coming from the vanilla oil she'd used, then it was finally time to decide on what to wear. After half an hour of trying on various clothes, she finally decided on an elegant full length trumpet shaped cocktail dress of a burgundy red, that was sure to get Lucius Malfoy's attention – she considered wearing Slytherin green, but figured Gryffindor colours would make a better statement. Having studied at Beaxubatons Academy of Magic, she was quite impartial when it came to Hogwarts Houses and the colours associated with them, but this particular burgundy shade was one of her favourite colours. She put on black buckle strap high heeled sandals, and accessorized with a set of rubies, admiring the result in the mirror.

When she went down to the entrance lobby, Emilia saw Hermione had chosen to wear a dark blue formal halter dress that came down to just above her knees. She looked quite fetching and Emilia wondered how honest her niece had been when she said she didn't want to impress either of the Malfoy men.

In fact, if she thought about it better, Draco Malfoy _would_ be a perfect match for Hermione. He was certainly one of the few – if not the only one – who could keep up with her in terms of intellect, and he was extremely handsome, not to mention how rich the Malfoys were. Quite a catch, just like his father, Emilia thought, chuckling to herself.

"Ready?" she asked her niece, who nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be", Hermione answered. "And so are you, auntie – you look great, which tells me you're still set on impressing Lucius Malfoy."

"Maybe I am, maybe I'm not. In any case, I don't see why I shouldn't look my best for such an occasion – or any occasion, for that matter."

Hermione sighed, but said nothing more as she stretched out her hand. Emilia didn't know where Malfoy Manor was located, other than that it was somewhere in Wiltshire, so she was going to side-apparate. She took her niece's hand and almost instantaneously they were in front of the gates of a very impressive looking manor, with equally impressive grounds.

"Wow", she said, unable to contain her awe. "The Malfoys have done well for themselves."

"Please don't let their wealth get to you, they're not any better than the rest of the world just because they're rich!"

"I know that, but I'm still impressed", Emilia said, laughing. "So how do we get in?" she asked, stretching her hand towards the iron wrought gates that barred them from entering the vast Malfoy domain.

Before Hermione had a chance to reply, the gates swung open, so the answer became clear. All they had to do was go forward – they were expected.


	2. Dinner at the Manor

**A/N**: So, I finished the second chapter sooner than I thought :)) Probably because it was Harry Potter day on the 31st of July, and I got inspired. I doubt I'll be able to keep up this pace with the third chapter, but I guess we'll see, maybe I'll manage to get some writing done this weekend.

Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter 2 Dinner at the Manor**

Emilia and Hermione made their way to the front doors of the manor, and before they could get a chance to knock, a house elf welcomed them in.

"What's your name?" Hermione was quick to ask the elf.

"Lippy, Miss", squeaked the house elf, who, Emilia was surprised to see, was wearing clean clothes – and elegant ones too, an elf sized black suit to be precise.

"And are you being paid for your services, Lippy?" Hermione inquired, and Emilia wasn't surprised that this was the first thing she wanted to know – her niece was dedicated to protecting the rights of magical creatures.

"Yes, Miss, though Lippy would rather not be paid", the elf said.

"Are they treating you well?" Emilia asked, as she, too, was concerned about the mistreatment of magical creatures. From what her niece told her, the Malfoys used to be rather cruel to their previous house elf, Dobby, who ended up being killed by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange, Narcissa Malfoy's sister, during his heroic rescue of Hermione and her friends from this very manor.

"Of course, Miss", the elf said as he lead them through the spacious hallway toward the dining room.

Emilia exchanged a look with Hermione – the "of course" seemed a bit much, but then again, even if a house elf had been freed and was getting paid, it was still natural for them to speak only well of the family they worked for.

When the elf ushered them in the exquisitely decorated dining room, Emilia noticed that Lucius and Draco were waiting for them, making a very fetching pair in their elegant dark suits which contrasted wonderfully with their pale complexion, eyes and hair.

"Miss Agnelli, Miss Granger, welcome!", Lucius said.

"This way, Granger", Draco said, as he pulled out a chair for Hermione to sit in. Lucius was also pulling out a chair, so Emilia took a seat, thanking him graciously. She loved the fact that Lucius was such a gentleman, because manners mattered and there was a serious lack of well-mannered men these days – probably one of the reasons why she was still single.

If she were to be honest with herself, Emilia had stayed single up to her respectable age of thirty three because she hadn't met anyone who could "rock her world", as the saying went. However, back in Messina she had plenty of admirers, which she liked to keep hanging on, because she adored all the attention. Had she studied at Hogwarts, the Sorting Hat would have surely placed her in Slytherin, which was one more reason why she felt so attracted to Lucius Malfoy, a true Slytherin if ever she met one.

Lippy brought the hors d'oeuvre to the table, but before Emilia could indulge in some of the little delicacies, Lucius Malfoy addressed her.

"Would you mind telling me more about yourself, Miss Agnelli, I must confess I have an interest in pureblooded families, even if they're not British."

"You can call me Emilia", she said, and was thrilled when Lucius asked her to call him by his first name as well.

She was also pleased to be asked to talk about herself, because it happened to be one of her favourite subjects.

"Let's see, then. There really isn't much to say because although the Agnelli family is, indeed, one of the oldest wizard families in Italy, unfortunately now there's just me left – my parents are both dead and I don't have any siblings", Emilia said calmly, trying not to let her voice tremble.

"I'm sorry to hear that", Lucius said and she could hear real regret in his voice. He seemed to know a thing or two about loss.

"No need to – my father died a long time, as for my mother, she'd been unwell for a long time, so it was pretty much a mercy that she's passed away."

She didn't want to get into any other details so she talked a bit about life in Sicily, which for her was idyllic – Messina had been untouched by the wizarding war, and life there seemed to be going at a slower pace than anywhere else in the world. People lived a carefree life as they enjoyed simple things like admiring the breath taking panoramas of the largest natural harbour in the Mediterranean Sea that embraced the blue sea of Messina Strait, for instance, or taking a walk around the Duomo and all the marvellous churches and fountains and statues in the city, or visiting the theatres or museums, and so on and so forth.

There was no shortage of fun things to do in Messina, and Emilia already missed her hometown, but for now Hermione needed her, and right not, it wasn't just for her niece that she wanted to remain in the UK. Despite her many admirers back home, no one had managed to conquer her heart, and yet she earned to be conquered, and at the moment she was looking into the eyes of someone who might just succeed in breaking down all of her defences.

"What about your friends? Didn't any of them come with you on this trip?" Lucius asked and Emilia wondered what he hoped to find out with all these questions, but she answered with candour nonetheless, more than willing to tell him everything about herself.

"Oh, pretty much all of my friends insisted on coming with me, but I explained to them that I needed to go to the UK alone, to focus on helping Hermione until my cousin and her husband regain their memories of her."

"If I'm not being indiscreet, how did that happen?" he continued the line of questioning.

"Hermione would be better off telling that particular story", Emilia replied, glancing at her niece, but at the moment Hermione was caught up in an intense discussion with Draco Malfoy, both of them leaning towards each other over the table, their heads close together, though neither seemed to have noticed.

"…but I suppose I can explain because it's simple, really. Before she left on the horcrux hunt with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, Hermione obliviated her parents – she made them forget all about her and made them move to Australia, so they'd be safe from Voldemort."

Emilia noticed that Lucius winced at the sound of his former master's name.

"She thought, and with good reason, that Voldemort or his… associates", she tactfully said, not wanting to utter the word 'Death Eater', "might go after her parents in an attempt to get to her, and, implicitly, to Harry Potter. The only problem is that now it's complicated to retrieve their memories back. And Hermione is reluctant to have them admitted to St. Mungo's when they're having a wonderful life in Australia."

"A wonderful life but without their daughter", Lucius said. "I am sure that they'd much rather remember they have a daughter, and have her in their life, as is normal for a family. Loved ones should be together", he continued, and he sounded wistful, which was understandable, given that Lucius' marriage had just fallen apart, and his relationship with his son was not exactly ideal either, from what Hermione had told her.

"And since we're on the topic of loved ones, doesn't your partner mind you leaving Italy for an undetermined period of time?" he asked, and Emilia was speechless for a moment. Was this what he had been skirting around to ask with all of those previous questions? He wanted to know if she was involved in a romantic relationship?

The fact that he had an interest in that information gave her hope that he was interested in her, and she blushed a bit, trying at the same time not to let herself get carried away. She decided to play dumb and give him a reply that would definitely shock his aristocratic sensibilities.

"She doesn't mind, she'll have plenty to keep her busy at our apothecary", Emilia said serenely and she was pleased when Lucius nearly chocked on the sip of red wine he'd just taken from an exquisite crystal glass. It was, after all, a modern world, so it shouldn't have been that hard to believe that she might have a partner of the same sex. Emilia wondered whether he was so shocked because when purebloods were involved, it was of the essence that they procreate (which was obviously impossible in a relationship between people of the same sex) so that the pureness of the blood would be preserved.

Lucius coughed a bit, trying to regain his composure and Emilia almost gave herself away by erupting into laughter, but she managed to contain herself at the last moment, though the corner of her mouth was slightly lifted.

"She means her business partner – Emilia is single, if that's what you wanted to know, Mr. Malfoy", Hermione said with a smirk and Draco snickered at that, while Emilia was in shock at her niece's audacity, as was Lucius Malfoy.

It seemed like the Malfoys were bringing out the worst in Hermione, but no matter what, manners and propriety had to be upheld.

"Hermione, what a thing to say!" she chided, but at the same time she was glad that her niece had conveyed the information that she was single. This way Emilia didn't have to state so herself, and Lucius Malfoy now knew she was available, if he was interested. And everything about him that evening told her that he was – very interested.

"Sorry", Hermione said, but she didn't sound it, but then her attention returned to Draco and Emilia and Lucius were left in an awkward silence.

Not knowing what to do to get past that moment, Emilia took a sip of the wine too, and was amazed by how sweet it was and by its rich flavour.

"Excellent wine, Lucius", she said, taking another sip. "Perhaps just as good as the wines we have in Sicily. Simply delicious!"

"Delicious", he agreed, but Emilia almost choked on the wine, when she noticed that he was looking at her lips, a hungry look in his eyes.

The entire dinner was more of the same… they talked about a lot of things, getting to know each other, and every now and then Lucius would say something, or look at her a certain way, and Emilia would get chills of anticipation, imagining what it would be like to be with him, knowing she wanted that very much, and so did he.

Throughout the meal, she didn't exactly stay immune to his veiled advances. She batted her eyelashes a lot, and her gestures and words were designed to seduce. Emilia was glad she didn't need to hold back – Hermione and Draco seemed to be in a world of their own, so Emilia didn't need to worry about her niece witnessing her bold behaviour.

When the dessert was served, Emilia's eyes barely looked at the strawberry Pavlova cake that Lippy brought in, although she loved sweets. However, she did make a spectacle out of taking a bite and savouring it, complete with satisfied sounds that were sure to evoke other types of activities to Lucius Malfoy – it was clear in the way his eyes were smouldering, despite the fact that they were usually as grey and cold as an arctic morning.

Their eyes held and the sexual tension in the room was almost palpable. Just when Emilia thought she'd have to look away or spontaneously combust with desire, Draco's voice suddenly broke the spell.

"If you'll excuse us, Hermione has expressed an interest in going to the drawing room – that is, after where it happened", he said, and there was no doubt in anyone's mind about what he meant.

"Yes, so if I am to be facing my demons, then that's where I need to go. Plus, I'd like a tour of the grounds afterwards if that's OK. You have a beautiful house, Mr. Malfoy, but I think I'm going to need a bit of fresh air once I'm done facing that room and the memories that go with it."

"Of course", Lucius replied, with a nod to his son. "Draco will take you wherever you want to go."

"Are you sure you're ready to do this, Hermione?" Emilia asked, now completely out of the sensual haze that she'd been in before.

"I'm sure, so stop worrying and enjoy… dessert", Hermione teased and Emilia pursed her lips at her niece's cheekiness.

But she couldn't deny that she was glad when Hermione and Draco went out the door of the dining room, leaving her alone with Lucius Malfoy.

The night was still young and it was filled with possibilities.

* * *

"So where were we?" Lucius purred, extremely content that he was now alone in the dining room with the delightful Miss Emilia Agnelli.

Her big brown eyes widened as if he woke her up from a dream with his question – and he had no doubt that she'd been daydreaming… no, fantasizing about him just before he interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, actually, I think we were talking too much about me and not enough about you", she said, and Lucius was pleased that she was showing interest in him.

"I have nothing to hide, ask away", he said, meaning every word. Lucius didn't want to keep secrets from her, he wanted everything to be out in the open.

She hesitated, and Lucius was thoroughly intrigued. Was it so intrusive, what she wanted to ask, for her not to just tell him after his invitation?

"I really hope you won't consider me rude, but I have to admit that I would like to know more about how it came to be that you and your wife are separated. It's a rare thing for purebloods, not to mention that in hard times like these, families should stick together, so I admit I don't understand…", she trailed off.

Ah… so _that_ was what she wanted to know more about. He drew in a long breath and then started to explain, hoping he'd be able to convey to Emilia how things had turned out the way they had.

"You're right, it is unusual for purebloods to separate and divorce, despite the fact that most are loveless marriages, arranged by the two families of the people involved. I'm sure you know the reason for that: it's simply the purebloods' pride to uphold appearances, to not cause scandals, to do the proper thing and preserve the reputation of the family."

He smiled, but it was a bitter smile, which fooled no one.

"It's even more unusual for my wife and I to be separated", he continued, "because ours was a marriage for love. Of course, we matched perfectly even objectively speaking and I doubt our families could have wished for a better union, but that wasn't the reason why we got married. We fell in love with each other. And we had some very happy years of marriage, but then I got more and more wrapped up in the Dark Lord's mission and in being a Death Eater. Narcissa was never a Death Eater, did you know that?"

Emilia nodded which surprised Lucius, until he realized why she knew.

"Oh… the trial. Yes, I suppose everyone knows now, but not many people knew that before, they assumed that she was a Death Eater like me. However, she never took the Mark, because although we used to share the same… values… she always felt a reticence towards Voldemort and his ways. I, however, had no such misgivings. What you have to understand is that for the past couple years I've been even more self-absorbed in my restless pursuit of being in the good graces of the Dark Lord. Everything I did, I did for that sole purpose, and in the process I neglected my wife and my son."

It wasn't easy admitting to that, but Lucius felt like if he didn't share this burden with someone, it would eventually poison him from the inside. Besides, Emilia had a very understanding look in her eyes, so he hoped that whatever he confessed, she wouldn't loathe him and run away, disgusted.

"Moreover, I failed in one of the most important tasks that the Dark Lord gave me and ended up in Azkaban, and as a consequence, my son had to take my place as a Death Eater, being given a most dangerous assignment. I fear Narcissa never forgave me for this – for failing and incurring the Dark Lord's wrath which he took out on Draco… My son was fortunate to have someone watching over him and therefore he managed to avoid having to kill at such a young age, which I'm sure would have been a traumatic event that he might never have recovered from."

Lucius was glad that Emilia didn't interrupt with questions, she simply listened intently, which was exactly what he needed her to do.

He continued the story.

"At the eleventh hour I managed to finally wake up to reality and understand that if I didn't leave the Dark Lord's side I risked not just my own life, but my family's life as well, and – and somehow we all survived the Battle of Hogwarts and we were acquitted at the trial, but Narcissa never forgave me for putting Draco in danger. And not only for that, but for neglecting our son and her during all these years… She had all the reasons to leave, which was why I didn't try to stop her. I knew it was over, that I destroyed what we had. I can only be grateful that Draco accepted to remain at the Manor. I am willing to do everything in my power to make things right with him", Lucius said passionately, and he was surprised when Emilia placed her hand over his, which he had unconsciously clenched into a fist.

"You made mistakes… you're not perfect, none of us are, but it wasn't all your fault… If you'll forgive my saying so, Narcissa should have said something earlier, she should have done something earlier, not let it get so far."

He was about to interrupt and say that he and Narcissa had had countless arguments, and he hadn't listened, but Emilia shook her head and kept on talking.

"Even if she did talk to you, it clearly wasn't enough if she still left you in the end. I wouldn't have let it get that far. I would have fought tooth and nail for our relationship", she whispered, and Lucius suddenly realized that they were leaning towards each other over the table, their heads close together.

He stared into Emilia's expressive eyes, and then his gaze went lower, to her lips, and she nervously licked them, making Lucius want to replace her tongue with his, so he could taste her, see if she was as sweet as he imagined.

He leaned in even closer, and her eyes fluttered close. His lips had barely brushed hers when his son and Hermione Granger suddenly barged in, making them jump apart from each other, looking guilty as could be.

"Son, I'm sure I taught you better manners than to enter an occupied room without knocking first", Lucius admonished, trying hard to sound normal, though he was sure his voice was thicker than usual, as passion was still raging inside of him.

"This is the _dining_ room, not a bedroom or a private study, so did I really need to knock? Wait, did we interrupt something?" Draco asked with a smirk and although Lucius had never hit his son, he was sorely tempted to do so now. It was one thing for Draco to act that way with Hermione Granger and an entirely different thing for him to be insolent with his father and with Emilia.

"Of course not", Emilia was quick to reassure everyone. "Are you all right, Hermione?" she asked her niece.

"Never better. I'm glad I managed to confront my fears and then I had a _lovely _stroll about the gardens to help me move on."

Lucius was sure that the way she said 'lovely' meant that Draco actually said or did something inappropriate, but as long as Hermione didn't outright accuse his son of anything, all was well.

"Well, now that Hermione is back, I really think we should go, it's getting late", Emilia said, standing up, and Lucius frowned.

Why was she in such a hurry to go? Did she regret that moment of weakness when they'd almost kissed?

He surely didn't – the only regret was that things didn't go any further, thanks to his son's inopportune entrance.

"Go? I think not!" he said, smiling pleasantly, knowing he had one more shock for Emilia and her niece.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, her wand at the ready, though Lucius had no idea where she had hid the wand until that moment and how she managed to take it out of its hiding place so fast. Clearly Miss Granger wasn't big on trusting Malfoys.

Emilia didn't give any outward sign of confusion, except for raising her eyebrows, clearly intrigued, though not exactly alarmed by what the cryptic line meant.

He made a small pause before answering, savouring the effect that his words had on his audience.

"I'm afraid that you won't be able to apparate back home from here. The Ministry has placed a barrier around the manor, its grounds, and its surrounding area as a precautionary measure. The Aurors seem to be under the impression that we might flee at any moment. Why we'd do that when we've been cleared of all charges, is beyond me, but perhaps Shacklebolt thinks we might try to create a new circle of Death Eaters."

"You can hardly blame him", Hermione said coldly, but Lucius was more interested in what her aunt had to say.

"But if there's a barrier, how come we could apparate outside your gates?"

"The barrier is just to keep us from disaparatting, it doesn't stop other people from popping in. We're allowed visitors", Lucius explained.

"Fine, so we'll walk until we exit the barrier", Hermione said, still intent on leaving.

"Really? You're ready to walk fifty miles?" Draco asked mockingly, and Lucius confirmed the information his son offered.

"I'm afraid Draco is right, you can't possibly walk that far."

"Then we'll have to borrow your Nimbus 2001", Hermione addressed Draco.

"Do you fly, Emilia?" Lucius asked, because somehow the Italian beauty didn't impress him as a person who'd feel at ease on a broomstick.

"Only if I absolutely have to - it makes a mess of my hair and clothes, so I'd rather not. Besides, flying on a broomstick never struck me as a particularly safe way of travel, what with the height and the speed", she admitted ruefully.

"And you're not exactly fond of flying either, are you, Granger?" Draco asked Hermione, who gave him the cold shoulder by refusing to say a word.

"Don't you have a fireplace connected to the Floo Network?" Emilia asked, though she was now grasping at straws.

"We used to have such a connection, but it was closed by the Ministry as well", Lucius pointed out what should have been obvious.

"That makes sense", Emilia said with a sigh. "So what do you propose, Lucius?"

"That you stay the night, of course", he answered smiling, knowing he finally had her exactly where he wanted.


	3. A night of discoveries

**A/N**: Sorry it's taken me longer than expected to post this final chapter. I just hope you'll find the delay was worthwhile. I'm quite pleased with how the story turned out, and now I'm off to write the companion story, "Two for two – the other two", about Hermione and Draco.

Though short, I hope you liked this story and if so, don't hesitate to leave a review. Thanks to everyone who read it and especially to those who added it to their list of favourites.

* * *

**Chapter 3 A night of discoveries **

Stay the night – it sounded SO tempting, and yet Emilia could see that Hermione wasn't comfortable with the idea.

She was torn between her own desire and the responsibility she had to her niece.

"When hell freezes over", Hermione declared, clearly on the warpath, and Draco wasn't helping.

"I'm sure you'll find our accommodations superior in every way to those at Grimmauld Place", he said. "That may have been the residence of the Noble House of Black once upon a time, but it fell way below standards what with the current owner"

"I won't have you badmouthing Harry especially after how he testified at…", Hermione started but Emilia stopped her before the discussion turned into a full blown argument.

"Hermione, to be honest, I wouldn't mind spending the night here, it'd be so much better than flying on a broomstick through the night, but you're the one who's had to go through horrible things in this house, so it's really up to you whether we stay or we go. What will it be?"

Emilia was counting on her niece's practical side to be stronger than her antipathy for the Malfoys.

Hermione was finally quiet and now three pairs of eyes were focused on her, waiting to see what she'd decide.

"Urgh, whatever, let's just stay", she said after what seemed like ages.

Emilia released a breath she didn't know she was holding and then smiled – yes, that was Hermione, practical to be sure, not to mention she really didn't like flying.

"Perfect", Lucius said and the look he gave her made Emilia shiver. "Lippy!" he called, and the house elf apparated in front of him.

"Yes, master?"

Lucius started giving the elf the instructions to prepare two bedrooms while Emilia took advantage of the fact that Draco was also listening in to what his father was saying, to go over to Hermione and gave her a quick hug.

"Thank you", she whispered, because she had a feeling that Hermione had sacrificed her pride, and possibly her peace of mind, to stay the night in Malfoy Manor.

"Don't mention it. Now, until my room is ready, I think I'll go visit the library – you do have one?" she asked Draco, who immediately shifted his attention to her.

"Goes without saying. I'll take you there", he gallantly offered, "I'm sure even _you_ won't be disappointed", he added and Emilia smiled. She had a feeling about those two. A good feeling.

"Emilia, what do you say to a night cap? After all, it's still early for bed."

The way he said "early for bed" excited her because it conjured images of the two of them together, in bed, doing things… _bad_ things.

"I'd like that, if you promise to serve an equally delicious wine to the one before", she said, not wanting to appear too willing, though that's exactly what she was.

"I have better", he boasted and she laughed at how proud he was of his wine collection.

When he handed her the glass, their hands touched and Emilia could feel a shiver go through her entire body. The feel of his skin against hers was divine, and she quickly sipped the wine to try to calm her nerves, which were pretty rattled by Lucius Malfoy's proximity.

"So why don't you tell me more about this business of yours? That's a subject we haven't… _touched_ yet."

Everything he said seemed to be loaded with meaning, but Emilia was too eager to boast about her apothecary to miss the opportunity to do so.

"I own an apothecary named 'Rimedi Miracolosi'", she began.

"'Miraculous Remedies'? You chose a very suitable name for such a business", Lucius observed, and Emilia was impressed, although not altogether surprised.

"You speak Italian?"

"Sì, e molte altre lingue", he promptly answered, confirming her suspicion that he was a polyglot.

Emilia could feel her attraction to him growing by the minute. For her it wasn't enough for a man to have good looks – which Lucius had, in spades – he also had to be a match for her on an intellectual level, and so far Lucius didn't disappoint.

"You could have told me earlier, and we could have talked in Italian – though I need to practice my English, so it's just as well that you didn't. Now about my little shop, it offers a wide range of herbs and potions for basically any magical illness. The potions are mostly of my own creation, though I buy some of the common ones from various suppliers."

"You have me intrigued. I'd like to visit your apothecary someday. I happen to enjoy the art of potion making myself – and we Malfoys have an apothecary as well, not to mention that I have several volumes on both potions and herbs that I think you'll find interesting."

"I'd love to read them! And I'd also love it if you would come visit my humble apothecary!"

Emilia blushed at how liberally she used the word 'love', but she was, in fact, thrilled by the idea of Lucius visiting her shop in Messina. She wanted to show off her life's work, for one thing, but also she knew that if Lucius did visit, it wouldn't solely be in order for him to see Rimedi Miracolosi. There were plenty of apothecaries in London, so if he'd visit, he'd come to see _her._ And she wanted that.

"I'd love to kiss you. May I?" he suddenly asked, taking her by surprise, but he didn't wait for permission, instead he suddenly drew her into his arms and crushed his lips to hers.

Emilia was so shocked that she gasped, which allowed his tongue to slither inside her mouth, tasting her. Her mind went numb as she breathed in and in an instant was saturated by his scent, something extremely masculine and enticing that was overwhelming her senses.

Her eyes closed involuntarily and she set her glass down on the table, then circled her arms around Lucius' wide shoulders, her fingers feeling his silky strands of silver blonde hair.

His tongue worked its own kind of magic, and Emilia trembled in Lucius' arms when she felt his hands go down her sides, to settle low on her waist, pulling her flush against his hard body.

And 'hard' was the perfect word for it, because even through their clothes, she could feel Lucius' desire and the heat coming off of his glorious body. She held on to him tighter, needing to be as close to him as possible, and she let out a moan when one of Lucius' hands went lower, gripping her derriere and raising her slightly, so that they fitted perfectly against each other.

Although her mind was clouded with passion from their intense kissing, Emilia realized that this all led to one thing, something she didn't usually do on a first date. In fact, something she didn't usually do, period, especially since this hadn't even been a 'date' per se.

However, Emilia found herself incapable of saying 'no', simply because she didn't find a reason to do so. Whatever she felt for Lucius was, without a doubt, very physical, but it went beyond that. While she didn't exactly believe in love at first sight, she was pretty much head over heels in love with Lucius Malfoy, and in him she recognized someone who would be a partner for life, and she wanted that life to begin there and then.

That's why she didn't utter one word of protest when Lucius gathered her in his arms, and carried her, princess style, out of the dining room. He had no problem carrying her up the stairs and Emilia revelled in the feel of his strong arms holding her close, his firm lips ravishing hers.

She imagined he was very familiar with the manor in order for him to walk so assuredly without looking where he was going, because he never broke eye contact and when they reached what she presumed was his bedroom, he kicked the door open and soon deposited her in a large four poster bed, his body covering hers as he joined her for another heated kiss.

However, Emilia thought everything was going a little too fast, so she resorted to etiquette to temper things a little.

"We should take our shoes off – and probably our clothes too, or they'll wrinkle", she said lamely, hoping he wouldn't be completely put off by her observations.

He laughed heartily at that and Emilia was startled to see how different he was at that moment – he looked to be ten years younger, and without a care in the world, which was probably foreign to him, given the last years of strife.

"You're right, darling, we're not savages after all… though one look at you and I feel like I'm a total savage, quite unlike my usual self", he said in a thick voice that made her gulp.

He then proceeded to unclasping the straps of her sandals, and his fingers on her ankle made Emilia shiver. His touch was feather light, yet she knew the strength he possessed – he hadn't even broken a sweat after carrying her all the way from the dining room.

Lucius then proceeded to raising her up to her knees, her back to him, so he could access the zipper that held her dress in place. Emilia dutifully raised her hair up, so he could have better access, but instead of unzipping her dress, he placed a kiss on the nape of her neck.

Only then did his fingers find the zipper and as her skin was revealed to him, his lips traced arduous kisses over her sensitive skin.

Emilia had to get off the bed to help him get her out of the dress. Granted, when she'd decided what to wear to dinner, she never took into account the possibility of having to remove her clothing, so she'd chosen a beautiful, but rather snug dress. However, maybe it had been the right decision after all, given how much touching Lucius had to do to actually get the dress off of her. Emilia tried not to blush given that she was now only in her lingerie, while Lucius was still fully clothed, though that was a fact that was easy to fix.

"Your turn now", she said coyly, thrilled to see the hungry look in his eyes as he took in her almost naked body.

Her fingers trembled only a little as she removed his suit jacket, then his shirt, admiring his strong chest and sculpted abdomen, and wherever Emilia's eyes went, her fingers followed.

However, her leisurely perusal of his upper body didn't seem to sit well with Lucius, as he quickly got rid of the rest of his clothes – _all_ of his clothes, including his underwear, which meant she got to admire him in his naked glory, and glorious was a tame word for it.

Emilia was certain he was the most beautiful man she'd ever seen or would ever see, and she wished she could admire him for a longer time, but then he sat her down on the bed and followed to close the space between them and then their lips were touching.

She still felt an unexpected thrill to have her lips pressed to his – even if he'd kissed her before, it was just so amazing each and every time that she couldn't get used to it. Lucius drew her flush against his chest, then wrapped his arms around her as if to keep her there, even though she had no intention to go anywhere.

His mouth fastened hard on hers, forcing hers open with his tongue… again, he was being rather unnecessarily aggressive, given that Emilia would have willingly submit to whatever he had in mind, but on the other hand she didn't mind this side of him. Probably his need to be in control, and it was good someone still had control – Emilia was sure hers had fled long ago, as the amazing intimacy between them stole her breath and started her heart pounding.

Lucius lifted her into his lap while their kiss continued, and the new sensations of feeling him beneath her were exhilarating. One arm still held her fast, but his other hand slipped into her loose hair, his fingers threading through it against her scalp, which made shivers shot down Emilia's spine.

"Do you want to feel my hands on you?" he asked in a husky voice that made her go wet in a second.

Again, he didn't wait for permission, as his mouth slanted across hers once more while his hand cupped her cheek and then down along her neck as his hands cupped her breasts. She made a sound deep in her throat - a sound of pleasure she couldn't contain, because it felt wonderful, having his hands there, sensually stirring her, making her want to curl even closer against him.

All the while his kiss went on and on, and when he drew her tongue into his mouth to gently suck on it, Emilia moaned and she wrapped her arm around his neck without even thinking about it. She made a sound of protest when he stopped kneading her breast, but it was brief, because his hand wasn't leaving her, just moving in a different direction, down along her waist.

Then he was cupping her derriere to draw her even more tightly against him and not only that, but he somehow got that roaming hand of his under her panties, touching her directly between her legs. The sensations he was evoking were so strong that Emilia grasped a handful of his hair, trying to anchor herself to him, to reality, which was quickly slipping away from her.

He introduced one of his long, elegant fingers inside her core and she kissed him passionately as the pleasure quickly escalated, her entire body trembling with desire. When she came, she would have screamed his name, if it weren't for his lips on hers, catching whatever sound wanted to escape her as her orgasm pulsed against his finger.

Emilia felt utterly exhausted, as well as warm and thoroughly satiated in his arms, and she could have stayed there all night, but Lucius had something else in mind, of course.

He was a gentleman through and through because he made no attempt to move her, just held her in his lap until she came down from what she felt was heaven, while he placed soft kisses on her brow. His hand was gently caressing the outside of her thigh and surprisingly, Emilia felt herself start to get hot again.

Lucius seemed to have sensed it too, because all of a sudden his mouth was on hers again, and she was soon gripping his head with both of her hands and kissing him back in a renewed explosion of passion.

The way she was still on his lap gave Lucius full access to her body, and his hands were free to wander over her back and lower. And he went lower indeed. Before long he was gripping both her nether cheeks and moving her carefully against the hardness between his legs.

He touched a very sensitive spot on her and every time it pressed against his hardness, she felt a little shock that caused her to rub against him languorously. Emilia couldn't prevent it, she had no control over that reaction at all, and when he suddenly changed their positions so that he was stretched on top of her, she realized that at some point he'd relieved her of her bra and panties. Emilia had no idea when he'd done that, which was proof of how powerful the effect of his touch was on her, making her lose her mind, making her lose touch with reality, taking her in a world of all consuming passion.

Since there was no cloth to hold him back, he settled between her legs. What a thrilling sensation it was, to have him there - it stirred inside her and seemed to uncoil, spreading a new heat that increased the sensual tension that gripped her.

All of Emilia's senses were heightened to acute awareness. She tasted him, sweet and sour from the wine he'd drunk earlier and the hair that she was still gripping felt like fine silk.

It gave her great pleasure to hear him groan, because it meant she was having the same effect on him that he was on her, and when she looked into his eyes she saw such intense heat there, that she thought she'd melt from it.

Her breath became laboured, and it wasn't due to his weight on her, because that actually gave her a unique thrill in itself. But she caught herself holding her breath, she couldn't seem to help it, each time he touched a new sensitive spot on her, and he seemed to find a lot of those.

He suddenly broke their kiss to take one of her breasts into his mouth and instantly Emilia forgot all about breathing. Her body instinctively arched against him and she felt as if she were going to go up in flames at any moment. He was sucking her nipple, drawing on it deeply, though gently, making her crazy with desire.

His hands weren't idle either – one was massaging her other breast as for the other, it had been stroking the insides of her thighs but then Lucius slipped a finger inside her, just deep enough to set all her nerves tingling.

He started moving his finger deeper, steadily penetrating her, moving it in and out, changing tempo, slowly at first, then a few quick thrusts and slow again. Emilia's body thrusted upward, wanting more but Lucius simply continued stroking her like that, again and again, teasing her mercilessly.

When he finally replaced that finger with his manhood and entered her, the feeling was sublime. He was still for a moment, letting them enjoy the feeling of being one, but then he moved inside her and Emilia's eyes flared wide. The sensation he conjured with his fullness was nearly too much to take.

His exquisite slow thrusting made her feel pleasure so deeply that it seemed to radiate everywhere, until a tension built that would soon have to explode or kill her first. Lucius increased the tempo of their lovemaking, hitting a spot inside that made her almost scream for release, and then everything did explode all around her, making her oblivious to everything else.

Well, to almost everything else, because she was barely aware that he'd reached his pleasure at the same time with her, screaming her name in the process and for a second she was worried that Hermione and Draco might have heard him. How far away were the bedrooms anyway?

But Emilia couldn't maintain that train of thought – or any rational thought for that matter – for long. A sensual languor filled her that made it impossible for her to think or move, and she felt profound tenderness for Lucius, as she cuddled closer in his arms. She'd never felt that way before for anyone and it was in that moment that she realized that, as incredible as it was, she loved him, simple as that.

And although she was sure Lucius felt strongly about her too, she had no idea what to do about it, what came next. At the moment though, Emilia didn't want to worry about the future, she just wanted to remain in his arms, so she closed her eyes and enjoyed the afterglow of their lovemaking.

* * *

Lucius couldn't quite believe that what had just happened with Emilia was real. It had been beyond anything he had ever experienced before and he knew that he couldn't live another day without her. Her thoughts, however, were focused on something else entirely as it became obvious when she started questioning him.

"There was no precautionary measure to keep us from disapparating out of here, was there? You cast the spell yourself to prevent us from leaving", Emilia said, her eyes narrowing with suspicion, as her fingers traced circular patterns on his chest, making him hard again.

Lucius had known she'd figure it out eventually, so he didn't bother denying it, especially since he was quite proud of his cunning idea, typical for a Slytherin, which had obviously worked like a charm.

"All is fair in love and war… and I've had enough of war to last a lifetime, so it's time to focus on love."

He heard her sharp intake of breath, and he knew it was the word 'love' that caused it. Lucius was aware that it was early to be talking about something so important but he was certain of his feelings, and he needed to make sure Emilia knew that.

"I do mean it when I say 'love'. I never thought I could feel this way again, after Narcissa, and under no circumstances could I have envisioned feeling love so soon after she left me, which goes to show how life can surprise you."

Lucius could see that she wanted to believe him, but she probably had her insecurities and misgivings, and he couldn't blame her for it.

"Would you have even considered me had I not been a pureblood?" Emilia asked in a small voice, but Lucius was quick to wash assuage her fears.

"I think you know the answer to that question. My dear Emilia, I would have wanted you even if you were a muggle."

That was saying something, and Emilia must have known it too, as she raised her face to his and gave him a tremulous kiss, while a tear ran down her cheek.

It was his turn to register fear for a moment, wondering whether he'd said something wrong, but Emilia reassured him of the contrary.

"These are tears of joy, Lucius. You see, I'd kind of given up hope on finding someone to spend my life with… But now I realize that somewhere deep in my heart, I still held on to hope, and it wasn't in vain."

Lucius knew what she meant, because not long ago he had gone through times when he thought his life was over, and yet hope was a very powerful force that didn't go out easily, if at all.

"And you wouldn't mind being with a Malfoy? You wouldn't mind…. _being_ a Malfoy? I'm afraid that while my family is an ancient pureblooded one, our reputation isn't exactly the best at the moment."

He was proposing to her, albeit in a roundabout way, and he saw her eyes widen in surprise as she fully understood the meaning behind his evasive words.

"I don't give a fig about your bad reputation. I think you've reformed and what the rest of the world thinks may differ, but I'm sure before long your name will be completely cleared, and, if not, at least we'll provide good gossip", she said gleefully and he chuckled at her desire to be in the limelight.

He was relieved at her equally veiled acceptance of his proposal and then he smiled affectionately at her optimism. Lucius had no idea how long it'd take for him to redeem himself and his name, but he was fully dedicated to achieving that goal, so that he would be worthy of Emilia.

"Now all we have to do is get Hermione and Draco not to be at each other's throats all the time and everything will work out wonderfully", Emilia said, laughing, but Lucius knew that it wasn't going to be an issue.

"Oh, something tells me that we won't have a problem with that", he said with a chuckle.

"You don't mean…?" she trailed off, with a speculative look in her beautiful brown eyes.

"I'm sure my son and your niece have made more progress in the last couple of hours than in all their years at Hogwarts."

"And whose fault was it that they never got along while in school?" Emilia asked, poking him in the chest, her tone challenging.

"Fine, I admit, it was mostly my fault. Still, I have to say I'm glad the two of them found each other. Hermione is incredibly smart and talented, not to mention a hero, so despite her blood I'd be proud to have her as a daughter in law", Lucius said, surprised that he actually felt that way, a fact that he hadn't been aware of until just then, when he'd said the words.

"Aren't you … what's the expression? Jumping the gun? Thinking of Hermione as a daughter in law already", Emilia chided.

"Oh, if I know my son it's safe to say your niece is in his bedroom right now, and he doesn't intend to let her get away from him again. Now I regret that I made Lippy work in vain, preparing those two bedrooms that won't get used, because I don't intend to let you go either, I'll just keep you here with me."

"Am I your prisoner then?" she teased.

"No, but I wonder whether you'd consider opening a branch of Rimedi Miracolosi here, in the UK. I'm sure your partner can take care of the apothecary in Messina."

Lucius knew there was a risk he was scaring her away what with his planning their future together already, but he really didn't want to let Emilia return to Sicily for more than the absolute minimum amount of time required for her to set her affairs in order before she came to live with him.

"That's definitely food for thought. I might just do that, if you consent to visiting Messina with me for a couple of weeks, maybe even months each year – otherwise I'd miss it, plus, I think you could use some tan", she teased, but Lucius wasn't upset, on the contrary, he was pleased that she was going along with his plans, clearly envisioning spending the rest of her life with him.

"That sounds… reasonable, though I dare say you already like me well enough, pale though I am", he said with a smirk. "Definitely food for thought, as you said. And since we're on the food topic… I'm hungry." Lucius said, though he didn't mean for food. He craved her again, with an intensity that he'd never known before.

"Then by all means, if there's anything you like, feel free to feast upon it", she said in a seductive voice that nearly made him come.

He needed no further encouragement and as their mouths clashed once again, Lucius was grateful that he hadn't gotten what he deserved but much, much better – better than he could have ever hoped for or even imagined.

**THE END**


End file.
